Submitted by Jesse Scheckner,
(Source: Florida Politics)
Broward County’s most populous city has agreed to settle a lawsuit with LaToya Ratlieff, whom police tear-gassed and shot in the eye with a rubber bullet during a 2020 protest over the murder of George Floyd.
The sum — $1.975 million.
Fort Lauderdale Commissioners unanimously approved the settlement, ending a two-year legal battle over the 2020 incident. Ratlieff sparked a federal civil rights complaint in 2022, which later joined a class action complaint.
As part of the settlement, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department agreed to adopt or maintain policies to prevent a repeat of what Ratlieff suffered. The agreement (see below) specifies that the city must use SWAT and tactical and training policies for crowd management and control “consistent with the standard promulgated by the National Tactical Officers Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).”
Ratlieff, 36, said in a statement Tuesday evening, shortly after the City Commission vote, that her life “has changed dramatically” since her encounter with the Fort Lauderdale police on May 31, 2020.
“What I once considered as normal is now replaced with ongoing trauma and disability. Through this process, there were moments when, both mentally and physically, I was ready to give up. But I’ve tried to focus on the fact that this was important, not just for me but for everyone who seeks to use their voice to create meaningful change,” Ratlieff said.
“After 1,647 days, I close this chapter and begin the process of moving forward. But for others, this is just the beginning. I stand ready to support other victims in seeking justice through the pending class action suit. Just as so many members of the community extended their support to me during this challenging time, I encourage you to support them, too, as this journey can be both difficult and isolating.”
Ratlieff thanked her attorneys, Michael Davis, Ben Kuehne and Stuart Ratzan, whom she called “first-class lawyers, civil rights advocates, and human beings.” She thanked former Miami Herald reporters Sarah Blaskey and Nicholas Nehamas, who now work for the Washington Post and New York Times, respectively, for their reporting that “elevated my voice.”
Ratlieff added that Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Ben Sorensen — a pastor and third-generation member of the U.S. Armed Forces currently serving as a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve — is the only city official to have apologized to her.
He’s also the only person from the city, she said, “who treated me with respect and dignity.”
Sorensen, a pastor and lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, told Florida Politics that he contacted and met with her when he learned of what happened to R